


Sanguine

by Viola_Cantas



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Mentioned Golden Deer Students (Fire Emblem), Pining, Post-Time Skip, learning to feel emotions, verdant wind spoilers (very minor)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-28 18:09:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21140990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Viola_Cantas/pseuds/Viola_Cantas
Summary: Byleth could pinpoint the moment she first felt it, but not why.





	Sanguine

Byleth could pinpoint the moment she first felt it, but not why.

She felt it when she'd finally scaled the goddess tower, hardly winded, but confused to see a nobleman there.

An odd nobleman with soft brown skin and familiar green eyes.

And dark wavy hair.

And a coy smile.

Recognition hit her like a punch to the gut and even Byleth was shocked to feel her features contort to that of surprise.

Claude, the scheming leader of the Golden Deer house, had grown up. He’d already been taller than her in spades, but it seemed like he shot up another inch or two for good measure. Gone was the little braid she'd come to expect framing his face, and in its place a well-trimmed beard. It framed the square jaw of his that was no longer that of a teenager, more grizzled.

As they caught up, they fell into a comfortable rhythm and she noticed subtler changes.

His composure had changed. Many of his mannerisms remained, still true to his carefree façade. But even through them, she noticed he carried himself with a confidence and grace she’d never seen before.

It was upon taking every detail of him in that she felt it.

A heat rising to her face. 

At the moment, she chalked up to the exertion.

But then it happened again. 

Claude pulled Byleth to his side as he announced her return to the Knights of Seiros. They would need the Knights’ help in the war to come. It was wonderful seeing so many smiling faces, relieved as they were, but Byleth was heavily distracted by the weight of Claude’s hand on her shoulder, his proximity. He still spoke with his hands, that hadn't changed, but when he leaned in close, bending almost to her level for just a moment to ask her a question, Byleth froze. The sensation struck again.

This time she felt it in her ears as well, a heat that made her feel as though she faced the sun. 

It was unsettling.

Before she thought to ask anyone what this sensation might be, Hilda pulled her aside. The expression on her face was mischievous at best, hardly inspiring confidence.

"Do you need some help, professor? With Claude, I mean."

"With Claude?” Byleth tilted her head. “No.”

“No?” Hilda’s expression fell.

“Not directly. But that reminds me-” Byleth dropped her fist into her open palm. “Could I ask you about a strange phenomenon?"

"No? But I've seen the way-" The noble was muttering and cut herself off, suddenly conscious of her words and shaking her head. "Well. We'll see if I can help, this isn't the conversation I was hoping for."

_ Oh? _"What were you hoping for?" Byleth quirked a brow.

"N-nothing! What did you want to ask me, professor?"

"I've been feeling this… odd sensation. It's a strange warmth on my face, but only at certain times."

"Warmth?"

"I’m not sure how to describe it." Byleth rubbed at her cheek, struggling to find the words to describe it. "It feels as though I am leaning my face in too close to a fire, but there's none to be found."

Hilda stared at her blankly, her eyes betraying none of her thoughts as she turned the words over. "When does this happen, professor?"

"It happens most often when… well, I guess when Claude is around. It’s so strange."

"Warmth… on your face… when Claude is- Oh!" Hilda suddenly broke into a smile and giggled, and Byleth was somehow even more concerned than before.

"Professor! Do you not know what blushing is?"

"..." Byleth looked down, her hand covering her mouth. Hilda looked at her expectantly and she looked away.

"No."

Hilda looked giddy, barely controlling her mirth. "It's when your face gets all flushed. Blushing happens when you… Well, blushing happens because… Oh, how should I say this?" Her excitement got in the way of her words, it seemed. "Blushing can happen when you're embarrassed, or when you feel strongly about another person."

"But I wasn’t embarrassed."

"Which means..?" Hilda’s mischievous look was back with a vengeance

"I… You don't mean to imply-"

"I do." Hilda's smile was at its widest, and Byleth was struggling with her thoughts.

"That cannot… _ We _can’t…" Byleth felt the heat once again rise to her cheeks, this time certainly out of embarrassment.

Hilda stepped in close, her voice hushed.

"Profes- Byleth. I won't tell a soul.” 

"T-thank you, Hilda." The pink pig-tailed heir threw her hair over her shoulder and stepped back, a warm smile on her face.

"Of course, professor. If there's anything I can help you with, just say the word. Except don't, actually." At that Byleth, stifled a snort.

Byleth spent the next several days reeling. Analyzing every interaction as only a strategist can, she mentally combed over every interaction with Claude she could remember. When she was his professor, it was different: she was content to see his confidence and growth as his mentor, this train of thought never occurred to her, because why would it? But now? Now she seemed to fixate on everything she said to him, everything _ he said to her _, and the minutiae of their interactions. And as the two main figureheads of a revolutionary war, they spent a lot of time together.

"Hey, friend." His words had barely changed but they felt so different. What stunned her the most was the authenticity of it. She had an eye for the playful but distanced air he usually carried about him, but more and more often, it seemed, he was completely genuine. 

"What do you think about this battalion; is it a good fit for Cyril?" They spoke at length about it for a long while, and she had to tear her eyes away from his perfect long lashes. He must have noticed her odd behavior, and he prodded her for answers.

"Something on my face, teach?” He wiped at his cheek, raising an eyebrow.

“No, it’s nothing, Claude. But,” She could feel her face heating up, and she didn’t want to risk him noticing. “I’ve just remembered Seteth asked me to meet with him before supper. We’ll continue this later?” With barely a moment left for him to confirm, she turned and left, brisk steps carefully masking the encroaching emotional panic.

She found herself in a similar predicament not two days later, captivated by the striking way his neck shifted as he spoke, his lips curved. It was fascinating and infuriating, as she felt her face flush each time, and each time she found a new reason to excuse herself. He seemed unenthused by her antics, but never stopped her. She knew there was only so long until it would reach a tipping point.

She woke in the middle of the night. Not to a proper nightmare, but to an unsettling dream whose contents drifted from her memory upon waking. No amount of tossing and turning brought her any rest, so she threw the covers off in a fit.

_ A walk. To clear my mind. _

She found him on one of the battlements on the monastery's second floor; Claude, looking disheveled as one does in the odd hours of morning, sitting on the cobbles and staring into the sky.

She marvelled at the sight of him for the moment before he noticed her. Dressed down for the night, his shirt was half buttoned and untucked, revealing a large swath of his chest.

The sight made her face burn, and she frowned at her inability to keep her newfound emotions in check. 

Byleth thought about going back to her room, leaving him to his moment of peace and solitude. The idea was dashed as he quickly turned, his keen eyes catching hers, and she reflexively stepped forward.

“You too, huh?” His voice was hoarse.

“Yeah.” She sat beside him, the stone cold beneath her.

“How have you been making out lately?”

She sighed. “It’s been… rough. Fighting former students. Taking so many lives.”  
“I feel that. We’re all carrying that weight with us. And it doesn’t get easier.”

A silence settled between them. Usually it was comfortable, but something was off-kilter and the tension seemed to grow with each passing moment. He fidgeted, pulling absently at a loose string on his shirt before looking back to the sky.

“Did I do something to bother you, Teach?” His voice was soft, unaccusing.

“No.” _ Nothing you can help. _

“No? Then is there another reason you’ve been avoiding me?”

“If I have, it hasn’t been my intention.”

“It just seems like we don’t talk much anymore, outside of war meetings. Or within them, for that matter.”

“It is a busy time, Claude.” His brow furrowed at that.

His tone shifted, more stern than before. “I understand that. But we’ve always made time.” _ For each other. _

She understood what he was getting at, and frankly, she knew another verbal dodge would only upset him.

“Let me answer your question with a question. What kind of life do you hope for after this war, Claude?”

“I-” He huffed, brow relaxing, but only partly. “I know we've talked about this before; I want to live in a world where-”

“Claude. I know about the _ world _ you want to live in, it’s what I want as well.” She turned to him, expression stony. “What kind of life do _ you _ want after this war? Where do you see yourself in this _ ideal world _, in what role, around what people?”

“I…” He turned his gaze back to the sky for a moment. “Can I answer _ that _ with a question?”

“It's only fair.”

“Did I ever tell you where my father was from? Where I grew up?”

“No.” _ But I have my guess. _

“Well, he’s- I’m from Almyra.”

“I see.” 

“You know my dream, I want open borders, where no one is an outsider, where we can all live together and embrace our differences.” A soft smile graced his features as he looked to the stars, and Byleth took the moment to stare, unabashed. “As for my place in that world? Well, I guess I want to be at the top, the catalyst of that change.”

“As for who’s there… well, it would be wishful thinking to say I want all the Golden Deer there. That’s just unrealistic.” He laughed wistfully. “But…” 

His gaze shifted to her, serious. “I definitely want you to be there. Right there at the top too, if you’ll accept it.”

_ He couldn’t mean… _

She laughed softly, giving him a warm smile. 

“Was there ever a question?”

“By the sound of it, I guess not.” He laughed again, raking a shaky hand through his hair and turning away. For the first time since she’d met him, he seemed nervous. “I just… I could never be sure.”

She leaned over to get a better look at his face. “Never be sure? Claude, when have I given you any reason to d-”

It was a flurry of motion. She was fast, but Claude had her with the element of surprise. His hand found the back of her neck and pulled, sending her crashing into his lips. He was firm, his soft lips unyielding for just a fleeting moment before he pulled back, breathless. When she finally caught them, his eyes were frantic, the most panicked she’d ever seen. He seemed to scan her face, looking for… _ something, _ a sign. He must not have seen it, as she felt him back away, almost imperceptibly.

_ Not if I can help it. _

She surprised Claude by pulling him in again, to quash any remaining doubts. She felt him grin beneath her lips, and Byleth smiled in turn. When they separated again, the two laughed and laid back, staring at the starry sky above, nestled into the crooks of each other's arms. The sky shimmered before them for what seemed like hours.

When Byleth made to sit up, a lazy hand against her arm held her frozen.

“Byleth.” His voice was a whisper.

She turned her head to Claude, quirking an eyebrow. His eyes were drooping, his smile relaxed, and she could see the scruff starting on his cheeks.

“Stay?” It was less of a question, more of a plea.

“Of course, Claude.”

**Author's Note:**

> I have more for this, but I will add it as a new work when I'm ready, so in the mean time I thought this was a nice stand-alone one shot.
> 
> Please let me know what you think! Thank you for reading!
> 
> EDIT: sorry to the six of you who saw this with the extra bit that was supposed to be in part two!!!!


End file.
